Feudal Era Magic
by friendwriter
Summary: As Sesshomaru, Jaken, and Ah-Un are traveling, they come across a young woman in the middle of the road. Seems she had no memory. They end up taking her with them on their journey. But does this woman have a past that is, well, magical and unforseen? Can she be the one to reach Sesshomaru's cold, demon heart? Please R/R to find out! An original character of mine is inside! :D
1. Smoke, Blood, and A Woman

**A/N: Hey there! _Friendwriter _here! I have another fun fic for y'all! It's a crossover for the anime series, InuYasha, and the Harry Potter series. Some special note is that we have the "normal" cast of InuYasha (mostly centered around Sesshomaru). But we have another character who will get more into later - as they are an original character of mine ;) But, before we can begin - the disclaimer! Dun, dun, dun! LOL XD**

**DISCLAIMER: I, the ever friendly _friendwriter_, do NOT own any of the characters from InuYasha. Nor do I own ANY of the Harry Potter series. (Bummer, I know. LOL)**

**Now, on to the story! Hope you enjoy, and please R/R? :)**

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**Chapter 1 – Smoke, Blood, and A Woman**

It was another one of those annoyingly sunny afternoons as Sesshomaru, along with his travel companions Jaken and Ah-Un, walked the narrow road that would take them to the village where Rin lived. For the past 3 years now, the human girl lived with Kaede so she could live and grow as a normal young woman, rather than travel with him all the time. It would be another 3 or 4 days time before they would reach the village. Ah-Un, who was carrying the bundle of kimonos Sesshomaru had custom made for Rin, was walking beside him, and Jaken was on the other. They made sure to visit at least a couple times in a month, usually with more kimonos for the girl so that she would have something more to wear instead of the same thing every day.

Sesshomaru knew that it was a good idea to leave Rin with the elderly woman. There was no longer the threat of Naraku or his followers. The Shikon Jewel had been destroyed so it was no longer sought after by power-hungry demons. The priestess could take care of Rin, maybe not as good as he, but close enough. According to Rin, she was training to become a priestess herself, so that she could one day rejoin him and defend herself from any demons that tried to harm her.

The thought of returning back to the village made Sesshomaru a bit irritated however. His idiotic half-brother, InuYasha, lived there, along with the hanyou's human mate, Kagome. Last he visited, Sesshomaru was informed that Kagome was expecting pups. He knew even without asking that it was InuYasha's.

"You're gonna be an Uncle, m'lord!" Rin had been smiling at the time when Sesshomaru sat down with her as she unbundled her last gifts.

He knew that she only meant well. Rin only wished for him and his brother to get along, be real brothers now that InuYasha and Kagome's own family was growing. But, the fact was that Sesshomaru didn't care. Except for Rin, he didn't care for humans. They were weak and easily killed. He didn't have time for them, nor the patience. And that was that, and no more. Nothing was going to change that.

A disgruntled noise came from Ah-Un, making Sesshomaru look over at the demon. It was looking straight ahead, and was sniffing the air. Jaken, was also looking ahead, his gaze intent as if focusing on something that Sesshomaru couldn't see. Silently cursing himself for not being more alert, he too focused his senses to their surroundings. One of the things he smelled was smoke and ash, as if something was either burning or was just finishing and was now lingering in the air. That could be accounted for why Jaken and Ah-Un were acting they were. But, as they continued on walking forward, Sesshomaru could sense the faint smell of blood.

As they came closer to the next village, the sight of a body laid in the middle of the road. Upon further inspection it was a woman. She couldn't have been more than in her mid-twenties, possibly younger. Her long auburn hair was splayed across her face, her eyes tightly closed and a small trail of blood lingered from her lips, going down her chin. Her arms were draped over her body, but Sesshomaru could see that there was a patch of blood on her kimono.

"What do you think happened to her, Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked him as he, too, gazed down at the body.

"Who knows? She may have just been attacked." As he finished his statement, demons from the underworld appeared on the woman's body.

'_She must have not been dead long. They're just coming for her soul now-'_

His thoughts however were interrupted as the demons suddenly burst into flame, turning to ash as their bodies burned. This shocked Sesshomaru, having never seen such a thing happen before. To even more of a surprise, the woman began to stir and, eventually, sat up. His Tenseiga wasn't glowing so he knew it wasn't the healing sword doing what it was known best to do. However, he, along with Jaken and Ah-Un, continued to watch the woman slowly stand up, brushing her kimono as she looked quickly around her, not noticing the three demons in front of her. It was only when Ah-Un made another disgruntled sound, when she looked up.

Sesshomaru couldn't explain what came over him next. But when she looked up at them, her gaze sweeping over them and falling on him last, he couldn't help but stare at her eyes. They were a light shade of a grey, silver-ish color, and right now contrasting between confusion and fear as she stared back at him.

"U-uhm, please. Don't hurt me." Her tone depicted fear, and why wouldn't she? Three demons, two of some enormous height, were standing right in front of her. The poor girl was probably remembering getting attacked by one before she…died? No, she wasn't dead. Or had she?

Jaken looked from him to the woman before speaking. "We mean you of no harm, miss. Just passing through when we came upon your body-"

"Jaken, shush."

But it was too late. As Jaken's words absorbed into her mind, her fear only rose as she looked at Jaken.

"B-body? Then…I-I...I really…died?"

Assuming that she would surely faint before them, Sesshomaru stepped forward, only for the woman to hastily step back and away from him. He sighed and tried to give her a smile, his hand going up and in front of him, palm out towards her.

"You must be utterly confused right now, right?" He waited as she nodded slowly. "You did indeed look and appeared to be dead, but as we stood here, you seemed to come back alive. Do you remember anything from before you fell?"

She seemed to hesitate at first, thinking and trying to recall anything relatively important. And then, after a couple minutes, spoke.

"My name. I remember my name..."

Sesshomaru smiled wider this time, trying to urge her to speak. "Go on. What's your name, miss?"

"K-Katelyn."

Jaken was the one to speak next. "Sounds like a human's name, for sure. My name's Jaken, and this here is my Lord Sesshomaru." Ah-Un grunted at him. "Oh, and the two-headed dragon is Ah-Un."

Katelyn relaxed a bit, having known who she was speaking with. "Nice to meet you."

"Do you remember anything else, Katelyn?" Jaken asked her as nice as he could. The time that they had spent with Rin clearly influenced him to be nicer to humans.

She shook her head, a frown appearing on her face. "I'm afraid not. Just…" Her eyes widened, as if remembering something.

"A-a demon, it was chasing me from the village I was living in. It was trying to kill me- Oh no! It wasn't alone! There were others but they…they stayed behind with the villagers!" Without another word, Katelyn turned and ran towards the nearest village.

They quickened their pace, following her as she led them to the village. Arriving at the gates leading into the village, however, they slowed down. Past the gates, was sure to be a devastating sight as the earlier smell of smoke and ash came back. All of the buildings were in ruins, burned down from what was an attack on the village. Ash was all that was left of bundled hay and what had once been crates of supplies that the villagers had gathered. Katelyn, who was in shock, stood in the middle of the village, facing what was left of a home.

"This was…my home. What…what happened here? Why would anyone do something like this?" She was mumbling to herself when Sesshomaru and the others reached her.

Ah-Un nudged her hand closest to it with one of its heads, making her look at it. Tears were streaming down her face Sesshomaru noted, as he placed his hand on her shoulder. He saw in the corner of his eye, what was a pile of burned bodies. The smell was overwhelming and, if she didn't see them, then soon she would and he felt he needed to protect her from that pain. He didn't know why, or maybe it was spending so much time with Rin, but the thought of her in even more pain hurt him.

"I'm sorry for what has been done to your home. I think, and I don't usually offer this to a human as yourself…but I believe you need to come with us. It's unsafe for you here and we could make sure nothing happened to you."

Then, an idea struck Sesshomaru. "There is a village. It will take a few days time but it's safe there. There is an elderly priestess by the name of Kaede that lives there. We can take you there and you will be safe with her. Would you be okay with that?"

He placed his hand on her shoulder. Under it, he could feel the girl shaking. He let out a deep sigh.

"If you don't want to, we can't make you-"

"No. I want to go." Katelyn, to his surprise, smiled at him, patting his hand with one of her own. "I want to go to that village, if you don't mind taking me."

Sesshomaru recovered quickly and nodded. "Good. You will need to walk-" Ah-Un grunted at him, then. "But, if you need to rest, Ah-Un will give you a ride until you are fit to continue."

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru." She stepped forward to pet both of the dragon heads. "Thank you, Ah-Un."

Sesshomaru cleared his throat loudly enough for everyone to hear. "I suggest we go then. We're wasting valuable light and we shouldn't travel at night. That's when the more nocturnal demons come out to prey and feast."

Sesshomaru led the group out of the ruined village, but made sure to block the view of the burned bodies of her former friends from her with his body. He wasn't sure if she saw them, but if she did, Katelyn didn't let it on, or was pretending that she hadn't. They soon came upon the road again and continued walking in the direction they had been going before meeting Katelyn. Like Rin had done before, Katelyn walked alongside him. Ah-Un didn't seem to mind the slight distance between its master, her right hand was resting on the dragon demon. It was an interesting sight, to say the least, but Ah-Un seemed content and so did Katelyn.

Sesshomaru and the group, however, would have never had guessed how much an impact their new travel companion would make on their journey.

_**To be continued….**_

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**A/N: Yay! Another member to the group! But...does she happen to have a past that would surprise even the great and powerful Sesshomaru? What and where just does their future lie? You gotta read on to find out! :)**

_**-friendwriter**_


	2. Memories That Have Been Lost

**A/N: Here is the 2nd installment of Feudal Era Magic! I started to get so excited during one of the "scenes" between Sesshomaru and Katelyn! LOL I will let you guys figure out exactly which one ;) Oh! And please tell me what you think so far of my characer (Katelyn)? I put alot of thought into her and her personality. I think y'all will come to love her :D Please R/R at the end?**

**DISCLAIMER: I, happy and loving _friendwriter_, do NOT own any of the characters from InuYasha. Nor do I own ANY of the Harry Potter series. (But I soo wish I did. Sesshomaru is uber hot...and Draco, too. LOL)**

**Now, onto the story! XD**

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**Chapter 2 – Memories That Have Been Lost**

"Lord Sesshomaru? Lord Sesshomaru!"

Said demon youkai clenched his teeth and tried to ignore the hushed whispers of Jaken. They had stopped for the night when their new travel companion, Katelyn, began to show signs of fatigue. Convincing himself that it was best for her not to die and be responsible with dispensing a human body, Sesshomaru had suggested they rest for the night and resume the following morning when light broke. He, however, would stand guard and keep watch for any creeping demons.

Jaken, who was tugging on his sashinuki*, seemed to not desire the sleep was bugging him. Sesshomaru, through his teeth, softly growled at the imp demon. It was quiet enough so it wouldn't wake the sleeping pair of Ah-Un and Katelyn, but it got Jaken to stop tugging.

"What is it, Jaken?" He asked him in a whisper.

Jaken answered back in low tone as well. "Why must we bring the human girl with us, m'lord? She's only slowing us down."

Sesshomaru sighed deeply. "You already know Jaken, so there's no need to explain my decision. Not like I am obligated to tell you."

"I know her village was attacked and destroyed, but she is not our responsibility–much less yours, m'lord."

"She is now. When we get to our destination, she no longer will be and we can go on our own way. The old woman can take care of her."

Sesshomaru then looked over at Katelyn. She was sleeping soundly, leaning against Ah-Un. Her eyelids twitched suddenly, her thin mouth turning to a frown as to whatever dream she was having turned to that of a nightmare.

"What do you think humans dream of?"

The thought that had suddenly plagued his mind was voiced without so much as him knowing till it was too late to stop. He realized his mistake soon after as Jaken blinked, then stared in puzzlement at him.

"M'lord?"

Sesshomaru held out his hand and shook his head quickly.

"Forget I mentioned it and go to sleep. We leave first thing in the morning. Sooner we get to the village, the better."

Jaken only nodded, doing as his master commanded and soon fell asleep.

Sesshomaru glanced once more at Katelyn before switching his gaze and attention back to guarding the group. He closed his eyes, allowing his other senses to take control. What seemed like just moments later, however, Sesshomaru felt the tug of his sashinuki again. He sighed.

"Jaken, will you please leave me be and just go to sleep? Whatever you have to say can wait till tomorrow."

Instead of the imp demon, a clear, female spoke back to him.

"But, it _is_ tomorrow."

Sesshomaru opened his eyes then, greeted with the sight of Katelyn kneeling in front of him. Sure enough, behind her, was the light of the sun shining brightly as ever through the canopy of trees. Sesshomaru blinked, trying to focus more on the girl in front of him, who was smiling at him.

"Katelyn?"

She looked herself up and down, and nodded. "I believe I am me." Katelyn then looked back to him.

Sesshomaru looked around them. "Where's Jaken and Ah-Un?" Both demons were gone and nowhere to be seen.

"I asked them to go wait for us by the road so that you could rest more." She stood then, and held out a hand out to him to take.

He ignored it, though, and stood up by himself with some aide from the Tenseiga.

"And they listened to you?" He asked her, narrowing his eyes in disbelief.

She shrugged, tucking her hands away in the folds of her kimono.

"I was able to convince them. Or, more like Ah-Un, who dragged Jaken off with his teeth when he flat out refused." Katelyn smiled, obviously proud of her abilities.

Sesshomaru smirked as he put away the Tenseiga back into its sheath. They said no word until they were back on the narrow road that they had been traveling on. Jaken and Ah-Un were there; Ah-Un was lying on the road, facing them and the forest that they had took shelter in. Jaken had his arms crossed over his chest and was clearly irritated by his next words.

"M'lord! Please tell that wretched girl to not boss me around? She had the _nerve_ to ask me to _leave _you behind and wait here at the road!" Jaken said, pointing a thin, green finger at Katelyn. Ah-Un merely huffed in Jaken's direction, which made the other demon face it.

"And you! How could you take orders from her?"

Ah-Un completely ignored him as it stood, walking a little ways until it met with Katelyn, nudging her shoulder with each of its heads. Sesshomaru glanced over just in time to see this, watching her as she petted each of the dragon demon's heads. The group, then, set off, continuing their journey from where they had left off.

Like before, Jaken walked close to his side, while Ah-Un traveled alongside Katelyn's. Katelyn was nestled in between him and Ah-Un, with just a couple feet separating them. They were all relatively quiet, and had been for quite some time, when Sesshomaru heard what sounded like humming. It was low enough to not bother anyone with a normal sense of hearing. But, not like humans, demons usually had a sharper sense of hearing. He was of no exception, and heard it clearly. It sounded that of a lullaby, but not of one that he had ever heard of in his lifetime.

Sesshomaru stole another look at Katelyn, who seemed to be the source of the sound. One of her hands was on Ah-Un's back, stroking the back of the demon as they walked. Suddenly, she stopped humming, and looked over at him, frowning a bit.

"I'm sorry. Am I disturbing you?"

He shook his head. "What was that humming?"

Jaken shifted his gaze to them. "Is that what that was? I thought I had heard someone singing but it was too low for me make out."

Katelyn giggled softly. "A thousand pardons. I thought it was low enough to where it wouldn't bother anyone. I was only humming a song I once heard to Ah-Un. It seems to relax him some."

Jaken tilted his head at her. "That was you?" When she nodded, he continued. "That was…actually pretty good. I never heard that tune before but it was soothing."

Sesshomaru surprised himself by nodding in agreement with Jaken.

"Is that a lullaby, by any chance?"

Katelyn shook her head. "I don't believe so. But the lyrics I remembered were a little dark so I started to hum it in a slower, and softer, speed to make it a bit more pleasant."

"What are the…lyrics?" Sesshomaru asked her.

She looked up, as if recalling the words.

"Double, double, toil and trouble

Fire burn and cauldron bubble;

Double, double, toil and trouble

Fire burn and cauldron bubble;

Something wicked this way comes."

Both Sesshomaru and Jaken were quiet, blinking and staring at her until –

"That has got to be the strangest song I have ever heard," Jaken told her.

Katelyn's cheeks turned a bright red hue. "That's what I thought, too, at first. I think there is more to it, but that's all that I could remember."

A thought occurred to Sesshomaru then. "Have you started to regain your memories?" He asked her, remembering when they found her she couldn't recall anything but her name at first.

Katelyn nodded. "Yes, but," she sighed deeply. "It's not much. There are a lot of empty spaces, as if there are pieces to the memory missing."

"What is it that you _do_ remember? You can worry about the 'empty spaces' later."

"I remember the song." She smiled softly. "It was being sung by a group of kids, who were wearing these long robes that had, what looked like, emblems over their breast. They weren't all the same color, though. Also, I was sitting at a long table on the far side of this long, but mostly empty, room with three other long tables in front of me. There was no one else there though, but me and the group kids. Oh! And it looked like some of them were holding these large, croaking toads."

"Toads?" Jaken and Sesshomaru said in unison. Ah-Un even made a grunt-like noise at her, who had been quiet up till now.

Katelyn shrugged her shoulders. "That's what I remember. I swear I'm not making this up," she assured them.

"Well, I say you had a rather interesting, odd but interesting, life before we found you," Sesshomaru remarked.

"Oh! I don't think I ever properly thanked you for finding me then, or for allowing me to travel with you." She spoke to both of them, but looked mostly at him.

Jaken huffed and Sesshomaru waved her off dismissively with his hand.

"No thanks are needed. We were heading to the village anyway."

Katelyn grinned. "May I ask what for?"

Jaken snapped at her. "That is none of your concern-!"

Sesshomaru knocked Jaken swiftly in the head with his fist, making the imp-like demon rub his head with his staff-free hand.

"Now, Jaken. There is no need to be so rude. She was only asking a question." Sesshomaru reprimanded him. He glanced over at Katelyn again, who seemed not to be too bothered by Jaken's outburst as she continued to smile.

He sighed, looking ahead of them again. "There is someone we are going to see there. She's a young woman by the name of Rin, who has become my ward of sorts for the past few years since I've known her." Sesshomaru remembered then when he first met Rin, who had been mute at the time, orphaned at a young age.

"Why isn't she traveling with you? Is anything the matter with her?" She asked, concern in her voice, frowning at him.

Sesshomaru shook his head briskly. "Not at all. Rin, she used to travel alongside our group but she needed to grow in surroundings more suitable for a young girl, and out of any trouble. Right now, she is being taken care of by a priestess there until she is ready travel once again."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katelyn nod in understanding. "I see."

When Ah-Un sighed deeply and lowered its heads, Katelyn smiled gently at it, and patted the demon's back.

"You miss her, don't you boys?"

Sesshomaru allowed a small smile to form in the thin corner of his mouth.

"I'll admit, you seem to get along with demons quite well for a human," he remarked.

Katelyn looked up and over at him again. "Hm? Oh!" She let out a small laugh.

"Well, Ah-Un seems like such a gentle demon. He's a bit fierce-looking because of his size and appearance, but most things that look destructive and mean are also the most understanding of others."

He perked an eyebrow at her. "Most?"

She frowned, looking down as if recalling the demon that had attacked her and destroyed her village and home.

"I didn't say 'all,' now did I?" She smiled faintly at him.

"And what do you think of demons like us?" He asked her.

"You and Jaken?" Sesshomaru nodded slowly, and she considered her words carefully.

"Despite _your_ appearance and, may I say, attitude." Katelyn looked over at Jaken, who paid her no heed. "You're decent."

Jaken scoffed at this. "Decent, she says. What an odd thing for a human to say about two demons-one of which is one of the strongest and most powerful ever known throughout feudal Japan."

Katelyn smiled though. "And what's wrong with that? Why must one be judged because of their strength? Is it not the heart and soul of the person, or demon, which really determines what we're like? You could have left me in that burned down village, but you didn't. Instead, you brought me with you with the promise that I would be safe."

Jaken waved his staff around. "That is because, without us, you would surely die. My Lord Sesshomaru happens to have a kind enough heart to let a girl go with us."

Katelyn frowned. "What makes you think that I can't take care of myself?"

Jaken glanced over at her. "Besides the fact we found you, in the middle of the road, with a wound that looked like the death of you? And then left with no memories till now? You couldn't protect yourself if you tried."

"That is so not true! Yes I was attacked, but that had not been my fault! I was chased by a demon, which then struck me, probably leaving me for dead in that road."

"Yes, _chased_ andthen left to die. A more able human being would have properly defended themselves."

"You don't know what happ-"

"Okay you two!" Sesshomaru broke up the fighting that had ensued between the two. It was clear that Jaken did not take much liking for her, and he could see that the demon was trying to get a rise out of Katelyn.

"But, m'lord! She can't protect herself! That human will only create problems for us if anything were to happen."

"Then," Sesshomaru had to only think for a moment before his next idea popped up. "I shall teach her to defend herself in case of battle."

"WHAT?!" This time it was Jaken and Katelyn that had spoken at the same time.

"I-I don't know how to fight. Or, at least I don't think I do." Katelyn tried to tell him, her voice a tad frantic.

He only shrugged. "No matter." Sesshomaru stopped walking then, facing her. His other travel companions ceased their walking as well.

"I will teach you to wield a weapon and how to fight with it."

"But, m'lord!" He ignored Jaken's protests.

"What say you, Katelyn? Want to learn how to fight?"

She looked down, fidgeting her hands and picked at her fingers. They were long and slender, manicured nails even. Not fit for fighting but he could turn them dainty hands and make them master a sword. If anyone was to teach her, Sesshomaru knew he would be the best to do so.

Katelyn looked up at him, smiling a little. "I think I can. But, I don't have a sword to practice with."

With no hesitation, Sesshomaru reached to his side and pulled out the Tenseiga from its sheath. Jaken saw this and his eyes went wide.

"M'lord! The Tenseiga won't work well with fighting! You may as well hand her a stick to fight with!"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at him, whilst Katelyn narrowed her eyebrows at him.

"Tenseiga? It looks like a regular old sword to me…"

He shook his head, holding the Tenseiga upright in his palm. "Whether you want to believe this or not, but this sword can revive the dead."

Katelyn's eyes widened in surprise. "It can? Did you…"

"Revive you when you had died?" She nodded. "No. For some unknown reason you were able to come back yourself."

"Oh," she frowned once more.

"When someone dies, over a certain amount of time demons, known as pall-bearer imps, take the soul. These demons are completely invisible. But, with the Tenseiga, I can see them clear as day and cut down them, thus leaving the soul in the body. Because the soul doesn't leave the body, the corpse then revives itself."

"Tenseiga also keeps Lord Sesshomaru protected by creating a barrier of sorts," Jaken chimed in. "But it's not very good with fighting, not like m'lord needs a sword to fight."

Katelyn blinked. "What does he mean that you don't need a sword?"

"Don't worry yourself about that." He gestured for her to take Tenseiga from him. She hesitated at first, but then gently took it out of his hands, as if it would turn on her at any second.

Sesshomaru let out a small chuckle. "It won't do anything for you. To you, that is just like any other sword. Now, hold the hilt with both your hands. That's good. Next, using your arms, swing it back and forth. Excellent."

After she had mastered holding and handling a sword, Sesshomaru thought it was best to move the lesson to the next stage. He walked a few steps away from her, creating a distance of, at least, 10 feet between her and himself.

"Now, I want you to try and strike me with the Tenseiga." He smirked as her face changed to one that had been cheerful curiosity to one of horror.

"What?!" Katelyn exclaimed.

Sesshomaru grinned. "It won't hurt me, remember? That's why I said try. However, you can use more than the sword to attack your opponent. Your legs, for example, can swipe right underneath mine and try and make me fall. That would then, usually, make the opponent more vulnerable and susceptible to attacks. Now, come at me with all you got."

He watched her take a deep breath before settling off in a run toward him, the Tenseiga high above her head. She didn't stop as she reached him but instead brought the Tenseiga down. It, of course, didn't come into contact with him but he gripped the blade closest to him. Seeing him stop her attack, Katelyn then used her legs – one of them, her left, to sweep under him. He switched his hand to her leg, grabbing her ankle to stop her. What he didn't seem to notice was, while he had been distracted with stopping her left leg, the other came rushing toward him, actually hitting his own legs and sending him staggering a couple spaces back.

Shocked that she was able to make contact and throw him off, Sesshomaru looked at her then with wide eyes. Her eyes, though, seemed to darken in color before setting back into the lighter shade that he had been used to seeing by now.

Jaken, who didn't notice the slight change just then, checked him before applauding her, and Ah-Un nudged each of their arms.

"I have to say, well done! Where did you learn that?" He asked Katelyn who shrugged.

She looked out of breath but fine all the same so Sesshomaru relaxed.

"I didn't see you move. You are incredibly fast for a human." Sesshomaru told her.

Katelyn smiled then. "Thank you! I don't think I should hold onto this much longer though," she said, handing Sesshomaru the Tenseiga back. He took it back into his hand, looking it over once before sheathing it.

"It's a fine sword, and has amazing qualities for not being a fighting sword. Thank you for allowing me to train with it," she bowed at her waist.

He patted her shoulder gently. "We will continue this lesson later. I won't be so careless next time, though."

She stood up straight and they continued on their way. There was no more conversation to be made, or none that Sesshomaru felt he needed to bring to attention until he understood clearly on what he had just seen. What had taken over Katelyn that had been there one second and gone the next? Surely she wasn't a demon, as well? No, he would have been able to sense if she was a demon, so that couldn't be it.

There was something the matter with the woman though. Even if it was small, it was a good idea to make sure that it was nothing to worry about nor would get out of hand later and potentially grow even more serious.

Some time past by and they happened upon the stone-arched entrance of another village. It would be the last one they would see for at least a day before reaching the one where Rin and Kaede lived, so stocking up on any essentials would be best.

Sesshomaru remembered that the kimono Katelyn was wearing was still stained with her blood from when they had found her.

"We should probably find you another kimono to wear as well," he said aloud and mostly to Katelyn, who looked at him in shock.

"Th-that is not necessary! I'm fine with wearing it the way it is now. It's just," she looked down at her waist where her 'wound' had once been. There was a dark red stain there, which didn't look well with the white and blue flowered kimono she was wearing, and it was clearly visible to anyone that saw her.

She blushed. "I-I guess it is, then."

Sesshomaru smiled a little. "If you happen to see one that you like, let me know. Don't worry about the costs, or paying me back," he added the last part when he saw her try to argue. "Consider it a present for your lesson going well for the first try."

Katelyn smiled. "Thank you."

With no further discussion, the group furthered more into the village. Upon entering, they saw many villagers out walking. Sesshomaru knew how strange it would have been for a human to be traveling with 3 demons, but he didn't think there would so many taking account of their presence. He first felt the eyes on them, and it just sweeping over Jaken and Ah-Un, but then there were many audible gasps as they all gazed on Katelyn.

She seemed to notice, her voice lowering to that of a whisper. "Why are they all looking at me like that?" She asked, as they walked past a group of gawking villagers.

"I don't exactly know-"

"Lady Katelyn?"

They all turned to see who had spoken out Katelyn's name, meeting a woman with long black hair as she came out of one of the huts. Upon catching her gaze as well, her azure eyes widened in shock, her hands moving up to cover her mouth.

Katelyn smiled in the corner of his eye. "Do I know you, ma'am?"

The woman frowned at this, her brown eyes softening. "You don't remember me?" Katelyn shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry."

The woman, not taking too much care for the demons there, stepped forward, reaching forward to cup Katelyn's hands in one of her own before brushing the side of Katelyn's face, caressing her forehead and back down to cup her chin so that she could look deep into her eyes. Her eyes widened again, looking as if they would tear at any moment.

"You poor girl. You have suffered so much." Her gaze shifted down to Katelyn's waist then. "And you were injured." She _tsked_ under her breath as she looked up at Sesshomaru and the others. He caught her gaze and the woman smiled at him.

"Thank you for taking care of Lady Katelyn," she said as the other humans nodded in agreement.

"Ma'am?" The woman turned back to her. Katelyn, who was now frowning at her, took a deep breath. "How do you know me? Have we met before?"

The woman smiled a little. "We have. My name is Kana. Why don't we get you situated and out of that dirty kimono. I'm sure I have one here for you in your size." She gestured for them to follow her into the hut, Jaken and Ah-Un settling to stay outside instead.

Sesshomaru and Katelyn followed Kana through the hut, ending at a large room with a bed and a wardrobe. Kana walked toward the wardrobe, pulling the doors open. She shifted through some of the clothing there. She stopped moving some, letting out an "Ah! There it is!" before turning back around to face them. She held out the folded kimono to Katelyn then.

"Here you go, dearie. Why don't you change into this in the room next to this one and when you're done I will throw out the one you're wearing. No need to have bloody clothes hanging around, now do we?"

Katelyn gave her a small smile before going into the room Kana showed her. As she changed, he and the other woman went to another room where she served him tea.

"You're being awfully kind. Don't you know what I am?" Sesshomaru asked her, to whom she merely smiled as she poured his tea and then sat down next to her cup.

"I know what you be, demon. But, if you were a threat to me or my people, I would know. Besides," she looked up at him with a glint in her eye. "You allowed a woman to travel with you, did you not?"

He smirked. "I did. But I intend to only let her travel until we reach the village where we're going. But, that may change now."

She had been sipping her tea, but stopped at his last statement. "Oh? And why is that?"

"You know her. You can take her off my hands, can't you?"

Kana smiled a little. "Think what you want, demon. But Lady Katelyn doesn't reside with us."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "But you said…"

"We, my people and I, know her because she came to us one day. We probably know her just as much as you do. She's a mystery, but strong nonetheless. Kind, and stubborn in her own way."

Sesshomaru let out a sigh. "That she is."

They each took turns sipping their tea as they waited for Katelyn to finish. When the sliding door moved near them, Sesshomaru and Kana looked up to see Katelyn. For a moment, Sesshomaru felt something jump within his chest. Ignoring it for now, he gazed at the newly dressed woman before him. With her long hair in tresses and two red ribbons in her locks, Katelyn adorned a long dark blue kimono with small pink sakura flowers, a red sash holding the kimono against her waist. It stopped right above her knees, but looked suitable for traveling nonetheless.

Kana stood up and went over to take Katelyn's hands in hers. "You look beautiful, Lady Katelyn. I'm so glad that you decided to keep your hair down. And the ribbons are such a nice touch! They blend wonderfully with your auburn hair. Please, come sit and have some tea." Kana ushered Katelyn to the table, sitting her on the other side from her.

Sesshomaru looked from Katelyn to Kana, as they each took a sip of tea.

"Would you care to explain how you know Katelyn, now?"

Katelyn gasped at him. "Sesshomaru!" She smiled apologetically at Kana before turning back to him. "Kana is being kind enough to allow us in her home. At least say 'thank you' before demanding answers."

Sesshomaru sighed hard and forced a smile on his face. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Kana smiled at them. "It is my pleasure to help Lady Katelyn and her friends. But, he is right to get to the point, m'dear." She told the last part to Katelyn, brushing her hands over her kimono.

"It seems it's been quite some time since I last saw you. You came to us less than a month ago –sent from another village to help us with a demon problem that we had been having. We had been terrorized by a group of demons that would come to our village and steal our most precious supplies and kill anyone that tried to stop them."

"Why me? Do you know?" Katelyn asked her.

Kana nodded. "We were told by a priestess that you possessed some rather unique qualities that would help us with our situation. We didn't inquire about it but welcomed any help that she could give us. Less than a day later, you showed up at our village…"

"That night, the demons showed up and you chased most of them out. One, however, stayed behind. It was the leader and he ravaged the town, burning everything and anything in sight. You…you led him out though. You bravely challenged him, and he chased after you. Ever since then we hadn't seen or heard from you. We prayed you had just returned to the other village."

Sesshomaru, who had been listening to the woman, turned to Katelyn then. "That must have been why we found you on the road and why you had been hurt."

"I-I _was_ attacked. I remember it all now." She looked from him to Kana, who was now looking worried over the new bit of information as to what had happened to Katelyn.

"Dear? What happened to you? You can tell Kana."

"I-I let the demon chase me, that's true. When we were far enough from the village, I turned around and faced him. He…he came at me, swinging a dagger at me. I managed to dodge it at first, and delivered a blow to his stomach, which made him stagger backwards. He lunged at me again, and we fought back and forth. In the middle of the struggle, he grazed my waist. I was able to deliver greater damage though and he ran before I can do any more. I was trying to go after him so he wouldn't hurt anyone but, I fell. Last thing I remember after that was waking up to three demons standing over me."

Kana shook her head somberly. "You poor, poor girl. I'm glad you are fine now."

Katelyn nodded, and then suddenly stood up straight. "The village! This isn't the one where I went to. I was sent to the one further down the road, closer to the mountains. I saw it before we came here. It was burned down." She frowned.

Kana frowned as well. "Yes, I'm afraid the demon came back and burned it while everyone was sleeping. No one died, but some were greatly injured."

Katelyn lowered her head. "I'm sorry. If I had only been able to finish it off. Your village was burned because I didn't do what I was sent out to do."

The other woman leaned across the table to pat Katelyn's hand gently.

"You protected us. It wasn't your fault. You were injured."

When Katelyn didn't say anything but keep her head lowered, Sesshomaru spoke instead.

"Have you seen this demon or any of his followers since your village was burned?"

Kana nodded slowly. "We have, but they haven't been taking anything or hurting anyone. We've seen mostly sightings but they don't seem want to disturb us. They seem to stay in the woods near this village. We would move again, but I don't want to risk my people getting ambushed."

"They may be waiting until your guard it down and attack when you least expect it. And, since Katelyn did interfere last time they actually did anything, they will probably increase the rate of their killing."

Katelyn suddenly stood. "I will do what I was sent to your village to do. I'll personally wipe out the demon and his followers."

"But, Lady Katelyn! You can't just go out and track them down! If they're waiting to pounce, as Lord Sesshomaru has said, then they will surely strike you down where you stood!"

Sesshomaru nodded. "She has a valid point, Katelyn. You can't go after them. You don't even know how to fight yet."

Katelyn turned to him. "I was able to throw you off. I can take them just fine. All I need is a sword-"

Kana jumped up as well. "Oh! Your sword!" She hurried off to another room, throwing open the sliding door.

"My sword?" Katelyn questioned when Kana returned with a bundle, tied securely with a belt.

Sesshomaru stood as Kana came over to them with the bundle, placing it on table carefully before them. She quickly unbundled the package, revealing a long-bladed sword. Kana handed it to her, which Katelyn took carefully. Suddenly, words appeared on the blade when she faced it towards herself. They read, "Strength, Love, Loyalty."

As if in a trance, Katelyn spoke in a low voice, but they both could hear her.

"With Strength, I will fight my enemies. With Love, I keep my friends close. And with Loyalty, I stand for justice for souls in need."

After she spoke the words, however, the ones on the blade glowed in a bright light, enveloping the blade in Katelyn's hands before dimming once again to nothing.

Sesshomaru blinked. "What the hell was that?"

"I-I…I am not sure. But, just now. That reached inside me." She looked up at Sesshomaru. "It wants me to fight. To do what I am meant to do."

Katelyn sheathed her sword and strapped it to her sash, bowing to Kana. "I will bring peace to your village and people once again, Lady Kana. I swear on my life." And, with that, she walked out of the hut.

Sesshomaru shared a quick glance with Kana before going after her. He hurried past Jaken and Ah-Un who looked up at him.

"Lord Sesshomaru. We tried to stop her, but she just kept on walking. It looked like she was heading toward the woods." Jaken faced him, and pointed to his right.

Sesshomaru pushed past him and, when he sensed Jaken and Ah-Un start to follow him, he only called back to them. "Stay here! I'm going to go get that girl back and put some sense into her. I'll call you if I need your assistance."

He found her about 10 feet inside from the entrance. She was looking around, clutching the sheath by her side tightly.

"Katelyn." She turned to her name, but then turned back around, shaking her head as she did so.

"I didn't ask for you to come with me, Sesshomaru. I can handle this matter on my own," she told him.

Sesshomaru scoffed. "Like hell you can. You've had one lesson with a sword and you honestly think you can go up against a _group_ of demons on your own?"

"I was asked to protect those people because apparently someone thought I could. This sword belongs to me, responds to me. I can do this."

"You hardly know who you are. Unless you have your memories back fully, then you stand no chance."

Katelyn faced him again, walking till only a few inches separated them.

"You don't need to protect me anymore, Sesshomaru. So, just let me do this and go."

"Why do you think you have to do this by yourself? Because of what that woman told you? Or is that sword strapped to your waist that glowed at some words you spoke?"

"NO!" She yanked the sword from its sheath and held it at her side. "It spoke to me! It's telling me that I can, and will, do this. If I die, then I would have died with honor."

"You will _die_ because you were such an idiot to think that you are some almighty hero that can swoop in and save a town of people you don't even know!"

"Why do you even care? You don't know me! You came across my _body _on some road, and then took _pity_ on me!"

"I don't know why I'm so concerned, or whatever feeling you stupid humans call this. But, I won't just let a woman run off into a battle that she has no chance of winning."

"I don't need to win. I just need to take out the leader and possibly some of his cronies before I go down with them. But, as for your 'problem'…You're a demon. Demons have no feelings toward humans," she told him.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. "Then you haven't ever met my brother." When she was about to open her mouth to question him, he held his hand up to stop her.

"Don't. It's not worth discussing." He sighed. "Look, since you are being so stubborn and insistent on doing this, I will go with you to fight these demons."

Katelyn shook her head again. "You don't have to-"

"No, I don't. But until I take you to that village, you're my responsibility. I volunteered to take you with us, and I will keep that very promise. Besides," he grinned wickedly. "I've been itching for a battle lately."

Katelyn smiled warmly at him.

"Now isn't that sickening sweet? A demon youkai and a human woman agreeing to fight alongside each other…"

A voice dripping with venom and hate came from above them. There, on one of the branches and leaning against the trunk of a tree, was a demon. It jumped down from the branch, but so did many others like him from the other trees surrounding them. The leader stood before them at about 6 feet, but not much taller than Sesshomaru, and taller than most of his followers. All of them wore tight-fitting pants and loose jackets, their chests exposed. But, only one of them had a patch-like badge on his breast, over his heart, making him the leader for sure. There was at least a dozen, if not more, before them, all inching toward Sesshomaru and Katelyn. At their sides, were daggers strapped to their calves.

The leader grinned at them. "Fellas, it looks like we will be having a bit of fun!"

Sesshomaru muttered under his breath, "Aw, hell."

_**To be continued…**_

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**A/N: Haha! I left y'all on a cliffie! I am SOO sorry! I couldn't help myself! I saw it in my head - BAM! It was written and looked too good to get rid of. LOL But at least I left it on a "funny" note :D Oh! And for those who don't know what a _sashinuki_ is, I have left a brief definition below my name there vvv**

**Much love and I look forward to any reviews!**

**-_friendwriter_**

***_sashinuki_:** a type of hakama that are meant to be worn blousing over the leg and exposing the foot. To accomplish this, they are somewhat longer than normal hakama, and a cord is run through the hem and drawn tight, creating a "ballooning" effect. (Source: , search **Hakama**, then link **Sahinuki Hakama**, under bullet 2)


	3. Rush

**A/N: Hey there! _Friendwriter_ here, and with a new chapter! Usually it takes me awhile to get done with a chapter but these have been pouring out of me! It's a great start to the New Year, no? ;) **

**DISCLAIMER: I, _friendwriter_, do NOT own any of the InuYasha characters or Harry Potter. But, if I did, I would probably have given Sesshomaru a sweeter side. LOL XD **

**I hope you R/R this! But, onto the story!**

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**Chapter 3 – Rush**

_**Flashback**_

_There was at least a dozen, if not more, before them, all inching toward Sesshomaru and Katelyn. At their sides, were daggers strapped to their calves. _

_The leader grinned at them. "Fellas, it looks like we will be having a bit of fun!" _

_Sesshomaru muttered under his breath, "Aw, hell."_

_**Present**_

Keeping his eyes on the group of demons before them, Sesshomaru spoke to the woman beside him. "You may want to prepare yourself now, Katelyn."

Said girl gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, but nodded nonetheless.

The leader of the demons laughed maniacally. "You honestly believe you can go against me and my subjects, with just yourself and that silly human girl? You may as well go ahead and dig your own graves now and surrender. Maybe we would even consider making it quick so that you wouldn't feel a thing."

"The ones that should surrender is you, you low-life, excuse for a demon." Sesshomaru called out to him, smirking as he did so.

A growl from the leader could be heard before he snarled, "You just volunteered yourself to go first!" He motioned for his followers to move on them.

Sesshomaru flew towards them, his claws outstretched. The first wave was no problem for him. The second was slightly harder, though. Out of the corner of his eyes, however, he could see Katelyn moving through the hoards of demons, escaping blows and delivering attacks with her sword. Despite the lack of training, she seemed to move deftly and with no problems. Soon, the lesser demons had been finished, some of them destroyed by his Toxic Claw, and all that was left was the demon leader.

If seeing his followers being defeated wasn't hard enough, it had to be the piles of them at his feet. He looked up at them, hatred and loathing searing in his eyes.

"You will pay for what you have done to my colleagues!"

The reason why he was the leader grew apparent, as he stretched out his hand and roots and underground vines shot up and out to Katelyn – who was thrown behind them, against a tree, and then bound there, her sword falling out of her hand as she hung helpless. Sesshomaru groaned after seeing this but turned his attention back to the demon leader.

"You can watch your human be squeezed and crushed till her bones break and her organs explode from the pressure those roots will deliver to her body. However, I may let her leave here unscathed if you just surrender and take her place instead."

Sesshomaru smirked at the other demon. "What makes you think I care about that human's life over my own? I don't need her by my side."

The demon frowned. "But, you…before you said-"

"I'm a demon. I don't care for humans. They disgust me to the core. They're so weak and narrow-minded. They can barely fend for themselves and, when they go into a fight, they whirl around their weapons, blindly attacking whatever is in front of them." He gestured to the strung-up Katelyn.

"Her? I don't know her. Never seen her before the other day when I saw her lying in the middle of the road I just so happen to be traveling on. I honestly thought she was dead. I would've just walked right past but then she started moving. Since then I've literally been stuck with her. If you want to kill her and end any misery, go right ahead. I don't care either way. But," he lowered his defenses. "I won't lay my life down for a human." Sesshomaru turned around and started to walk away from the demon.

Over his shoulder, he called out to the demon, "Have all the fun you want from her."

He could sense the other demon move toward the tree where Katelyn was. When he looked up, Sesshomaru saw Katelyn struggle and fight to break free of the hold on her so she could get to her sword below her. The demon was behind him, but he could guess that it would never have seen Sesshomaru's next move.

As he walked by the tree, Sesshomaru whispered up to her. "Be ready to move when I tell you to, girl."

There was a hint of confusion in her eyes as Katelyn looked down at him, but nod anyway. With a flash of movement from Sesshomaru, he extended out his clawed hand and broke the roots and vines, allowing Katelyn to drop down, landing on her hands and knees.

"Now!" He commanded, and he whirled back around at the other demon as Katelyn quickly got up and ran. He didn't see as to where she ran to, as he kept his focus on the other demon.

Surprised at what was happening, the demon leader stood shocked. He recovered quickly, though, when he saw Sesshomaru charge at him, and willed the forest to command him again. Sesshomaru dodged the roots that swung at him and, the boulders that tried to pummel him, moved to the side for them to hit the trees instead, breaking them.

"Stop moving so damn much!" The demon called out to him as he whirled another boulder and root at him.

Sesshomaru was able to jump to avoid getting hit by the boulder, but the tree root caught him by the ankles and pulled him back down, making him hit the ground, and hard. As he shook himself off, Sesshomaru look up to see the demon leader come at him slowly. He tried to break the hold of the roots around his ankle so he could move, but with every one he broke, another shot up from the ground and secured him again.

The demon leader chuckled. "It won't be so easy to escape me. You had your chance to run and you chose to stick around and play that little trick on me. For that," the demon lowered a hand to its calf, brandishing the dagger at Sesshomaru.

"You will pay with your life. I'm gonna enjoy skinning you and making you my meal for tonight."

Before the demon could close the gap much further, which was now about 5 feet, a bright light emitted from the corner of Sesshomaru's eye. With incredible speed, a dark blue figure swept past Sesshomaru and between them. Katelyn stood before him, holding her sword tightly and facing the long blade toward the demon leader.

Unraveled by her speed, he smirked. "Aw, look. The human girl has returned to help the demon youkai. How…disgusting." He snarled. "You're gonna wish you ran, you idiotic human girl."

Katelyn didn't answer him, too focused as she watched his every move.

"You were supposed to leave this place! Why the hell did you come back?!" Sesshomaru yelled at her. He saw her smile.

"I don't abandon friends," was all that she said before lunging forward. Before she did, however, Sesshomaru saw the dark hint of her eyes. The thing before when they had been practicing was back and had taken control of Katelyn.

The demon lunged as well, and the fought back and forth, each blocking every blow that the other tried to make. This went on for a few minutes, and Sesshomaru fought to release the hold on his ankles. Suddenly, there was a cry. Looking up, Sesshomaru saw the demon hunched over at the waist, holding its hand that held its dagger. Dark blood ran down as he did so.

"Why you stupid-"

Then the demon stopped talking, looking up at her with at first wide eyes, then back to a wicked grin.

"I know who you are, now. You're that woman I struck down. You had me chasing you and then had the nerve to face me. I had been shocked when you managed to deliver some blows. But when you didn't come after me, I assumed you had died."

Katelyn never lowered her sword, but replied with venom in her voice, and in a tone that Sesshomaru had never heard her speak in before. She was beyond pissed.

"I DID DIE!" She wasted no time after that to attack again.

The continued to deliver more attacks at each other, but it seemed as if something had truly overcome her. The demon leader's attacks never touched her, but Katelyn's did. A new slice appeared on the demon's skin every other swing, ripping the clothing on his torso and legs when the sword came into contact with it.

But, when Katelyn swung her blade upwards as she tried to deliver a frontal blow to the demon's skull, her opponent struck forward…and hit the area where her heart was.

She stopped her eyes going wide as she staggered backward and fell to her knees. Sesshomaru could only watch as Katelyn then looked up, the demon closing the distance between them.

"Looks like you should've stayed dead, human."

Katelyn, though, smiled. "Looks like you need to watch where you walk."

The demon let out a low, "Huh?" but then his own eyes widened. He fell backward then, the sword lodged deep in the demon's chest, the front of the blade sticking through till the other side.

Sesshomaru knew the demon leader had to be dead, as the roots slowly released themselves from him. Paying not much attention to demon, he knelt down to where he was next to Katelyn, moving her gently so that she was lying against his body. He deftly took the dagger out of her, looking her in the eyes after he did so. As she looked up at him, her eyes slowly changed back to their light, silvery color.

Katelyn coughed, trying to laugh. "I guess you were right. I needed to practice more."

He shook his head. "You did marvelously. I haven't seen a human move that fast before. With more practice, I'm sure you will be unstoppable next time."

She frowned, coughing again as blood then flowed from her both her wound and mouth. "You know there won't be a 'next time' for me, Sesshomaru. I screwed up and let my guard down for a split second. I-I…" Tears ran down her eyes and to her cheeks, the salt mixing with her blood. "I failed you."

He gripped her tightly against him. "You're not going to die, Katelyn. Just…pull yourself together and we can get out of here." Sesshomaru smiled. "I still have to take you to that village, right?"

Katelyn gave him a small, but weak, smile. "Right."

Sesshomaru nodded and started to stand up, using his strength to keep her against him. "Just hold on, Katelyn." He looked down at the sword still in the demon leader's, now dead, body. "I will have Jaken and Ah-Un come back for your sword. Katelyn?"

Sesshomaru had looked back to Katelyn, seeing her eyes closed. "Katelyn!" Her eyes slowly opened at her name then.

"I'm so tired, Sesshomaru. I just want to sleep a little." She tried to close her eyes again, but he shook her gently, relieved when she opened them again.

He frowned apologetically at her. "You can't go to sleep now. We need to get you out of here and to someone that can help you. You can sleep when you're all better."

"But, I'm sleepy now." Her eyes drifted closed again.

Sesshomaru sighed and shook her again. "Katelyn. I told you. You can't sleep now. We must get you help."

He earned no response from her. What was worse was that her heartbeat was slowing down at a terribly fast rate. He shook her again, and again. His own heart started to grow frantic.

"Katelyn? Katelyn, wake up! You need to wake up or-"

He stopped for her heart had stopped beating at that moment, and by the way her chest stopped moving, so did her breathing. Katelyn died, and in his arms. He shook his head back and forth in disbelief. This girl, no, woman, couldn't just die. He made a promise. She had fought so valiantly and strongly.

"Why ever did you come back? I expected you to run back to the village, but…you came back. You were such an idiot for coming back. You dumb…human."

_But is she really human?_ _The way that sword reacted to her. The way her eyes changed when she fought. She died once, but she came back. No human can do that. _

These thoughts echoed his mind, thoughts that bothered him more than anything.

_She can still be helped though, right? The woman Kaede…she knows what to do. She can bring her back with her herbs and remedies. Kaede can make Katelyn live again. _

The last thought snapped him out of the grief that was beginning to overcome him. Kaede. She wasn't far from there. Not if he left now. With only his mind in control, Sesshomaru flew with blinding speed out of the forest, and back to the village. He barely noticed Jaken and Ah-Un, remembering Katelyn's sword. She would want or need it when Kaede brought her back, and this made him stop right in front of Jaken, who jumped back in surprise, knocking into Ah-Un. Kana was there, as well, her eyes widening when her eyes focused on what, or who, Sesshomaru was holding.

"M'lord? Whatever happened?" "Dear Kami. Is that...?"

Both Jaken and Kana tried to speak, but Sesshomaru interrupted them.

"Katelyn's sword is still in the forest. Jaken, I need you and Ah-Un to go fetch it and bring it to Kaede's village." Sesshomaru told them.

Jaken frowned. "The old woman? But, Lord Sesshomaru…That village is but another day or two away. Even if you flew there, it may be too late. Why, I can't see the girl breathing."

"Doesn't matter. You will meet me there." He nodded once to Kana. "Goodbye."

And then he left without another word, he flew off, using his super speed to quicken his pace. As he kept moving, he would look down to make sure the woman in his arms was alright, checking for any rise or fall of her chest or any hint of her heart restarting. No change, however, had been made and he would keep moving, urging his body to move faster to Kaede's.

"You will be fine, Katelyn. You have to. Kaede will surely find a way to help you. I just know it. So, please. Don't leave this world yet."

Time felt like it was dragging on, but he finally reached the old woman's village. He ignored the glances he received from the villagers, who some knew of him thanks to Rin and Kaede. InuYasha, he noticed, was there in the village, too, and he called out his name is surprised confusion.

"Sesshomaru?"

He could hear the hanyou chase after him, but he didn't have time for that. At last, he found Kaede's hut. Without so much as a knock, he burst right through her door. Rin didn't appear to be there, but the old woman was over by her pot and had looked up when she heard someone barge into her home.

"What ye doing here, Sesshomaru? Trying to break me door and house? Why, ye – what do ye have there?" Kaede walked toward him.

"She's been hurt. A demon struck her heart with its dagger and…and she isn't breathing. And her heart seems to have stopped beating, as well. Can you help her?"

Kaede looked up at him. "Why are ye so concerned about this woman, Sesshomaru?" Her eyes then narrowed. "Ye didn't have anything to do with her death, did you?"

Sesshomaru glared at her. "I had nothing to do with her injury. Will you just help her?"

Kaede waved her hand at him. "Yes. Put her on them pile of blankets over there. Right by the fire." She motioned with her cane.

When he had done so, she motioned for him to move aside so that she could inspect Katelyn further. As she touched and prodded her gently, Kaede spoke again.

"How long has she been like this?"

"Hell if I know!" When he caught Kaede give him a look like before, he sighed. "It happened in the forests of the village down the road, towards the mountains."

Kaede who had been listening, nodded. "I see." Suddenly, she stopped. With a hand, she brushed away some hair that had swept over Katelyn's face.

"Why…It's Katelyn."

Sesshomaru frowned. "You know her, old woman?"

Kaede nodded, looking back to him. "I sent her to a village about a few days ago to take care of a demon problem there." She glanced at Katelyn. "It's definitely her."

_**To be continued…**_

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**A/N: *sniffling* I can't tell you how hard it was to write that last fighting scene. My poor character. She just doesn't get a break. And what is going on with Sesshomaru? Could he be developing feelings for Katelyn? And looks like Kaede has met Katelyn previously! I guess y'all have to wait till the next chapter! ;) No worries! I will try to update soon! **

**I hopes to see many reviews for this recent installment! Love you all much!**

**~_friendwriter_**


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